Why book this tour? You visit the Vatican once in a lifetime! Skip-the-line access means you’ll have more time to explore millennia of art and history within these hallowed walls without waiting in the long general admission lines. In 3 hours, explore the highlights of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica in a small group. Get straight inside with skip-the-line access to see a host of treasures of the Vatican City, all with enlightening storytelling from a passionate guide. Dive into the Vatican’s must-see attractions with the highlights you absolutely can't leave Rome without. This tour has been specifically designed to get you inside as quickly as possible with skip-the-line entry. This is the perfect tour for families traveling with small children or teens, people who "don't do" museum tours, or those who have limited time and want to see the Eternal City in less than an eternity. The tour includes the big 3: Museums & the Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's!
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
In demand: 63 of the next 126 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 11.
Meeting Point: The meeting point is our office, very close to the Museums' entrance; the exact address is Via Santamaura 14b. The closest Metro stop is Ottaviano. Please allow extra time due to traffic during the summer months! If you do need assistance with how to reach the meeting point, please don't hesitate to contact us.
We continue our visit entering Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. Encircled by a 2-mile border with Italy, Vatican City is an independent city-state that covers just over 100 acres, making it one-eighth the size of New York’s Central Park. Vatican City is governed as an absolute monarchy with the pope at its head. The Vatican mints its own euros, prints its own stamps, issues passports, licenses plates operates media outlets and has its own flag and anthem. One government function it lacks: taxation. Museum admission fees, stamp and souvenir sales, and contributions generate the Vatican’s revenue.
The Vatican Museums feature many works of art that belonged to the different Popes and are full of artistic beauty. Here is a glimpse of some of the most beautiful things to see in the Vatican Museums. Rooms and Galleries of the Vatican Museums, as the Greek Cross Room, the Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, and much more! These collections have been piled up over the course of centuries through acquisitions, donations, commissions, confiscations, and quite often lucky discoveries from underground Rome and not only.
Admire the breathtaking Sistine Chapel of Michelangelo! The most famous section of the Sistine Chapel ceiling is Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam. This scene is located next to the Creation of Eve, which is the panel at the center of the room, and the Congregation of the Waters, which is closer to the altar. Not everything was done by Michelangelo and your expert guide will be able to point that out. This proves just how great artists, even little known, left their marks in these magic locations. This is the right time to discover that!
If you thought the size of the Vatican Museums was overwhelmingly spectacular, St. Peter’s Basilica takes the “wow factor” to another level. The sheer capacity of the interiors is enough to leave any visitor searching for words to describe its vastness. At 613 feet long, 85 feet wide and 147 feet high, it took an incredible 120 years to build, starting from 1506. Admire Michelangelo’s unparalleled Pietà masterpiece and stroll towards the center-right nave to observe Bernini’s 30-foot high bronze Baldachin, which sits directly atop the site of St. Peter’s tomb.
A visit to Vatican City would not be complete without standing in awe of the beauty in St. Peter’s Square, also known as Piazza San Pietro. This massive square, which frames St. Peter’s Basilica, is where the pope holds Wednesday General Audiences and special masses on religious holidays.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 8,076 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Skip-the-Line Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's | Small Group lasts about 3 hours. The itinerary has 6 stops.
Prices start at $113 per person for this Rome experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There are 3 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with 8 departures a day between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
Children aged 0–6 pay nothing, adults from $113.
It can: 63 of the next 126 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is MEETING POINT *** at our office at Via Santamaura 14b, What a Life Tours. The closest Metro stop is Ottaviano, which is a 8-minute walk away. You must allow extra time to reach the meeting point, CHECK-IN is 15 minutes before the tour departure time. WE CANNOT WAIT FOR LATE ARRIVALS. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN, EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 12 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
ACCESSIBILITY: While the Vatican Museums are equipped with elevators for wheelchair access, they are not conveniently located on the group tour route and only give access to specific sections of the Museums. As a result, we cannot accommodate wheelchairs or walkers on this tour. If you have any kind of disability and a certificate to prove it, please let us know in advance, as you might be eligible for free entry.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
We had the best tour guide we have experienced on any excursion! Cinzia was so knowledgeable, so efficient and yet witty which was so fun during this tour. She got to know everyone and was most gracious to give us all the information she knew. It was the most amazing experience and I highly recommend it to everyone!! Our day was our day at the Vatican was our favorite of our entire trip!
I was on an 8 day trip with my family (parents and sister). We did Rome then Florence then Sorrento. Tonight was our last night here and we all went around the dinner table saying our favorite meal and “excursion”. Each one of us said the Vatican tour was our favorite excursion, and that amounted to our informative tour guide, Cinzia. She was so very educational. She was fast, easy to find, and funny! I would’ve been ashamed if we went to Rome without seeing the Vatican, and she made it all that much better! Would suggest skip the line! 10/10
Fabulous tour. Eugene was the best guide who is clearly both knowledgeable and fun. It was a great day.
Very historical and interesting. Don’t go in Summer as the heat is unbearable. Do a skip the line tour as the crowds are difficult.
Dear Jennifer_B, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience! We’re delighted to hear that you found the tour so interesting and enjoyed learning about its incredible history! We completely understand your advice about visiting in summer; the Roman heat and crowds can certainly be a challenge! That’s why a skip-the-line tour can make such a difference, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the amazing art, history, and architecture rather than waiting in the heat. Thank you for choosing What a Life Tours and for sharing your helpful tips with fellow travellers. We hope to welcome you back to Rome one day, perhaps during a cooler season! Until next time, wishing you all the best and safe travels ahead! Kind regards, What a Life Tours Team
Just long enough and just private enough, with a knowledgeable guide. This was a "bucket list" experience, for sure! Definitely worth the price and the time! :)
Dear Tahne_L, Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear the experience was the right length and offered the perfect balance of privacy, with a knowledgeable guide bringing everything to life. We always prioritise small groups, as we believe it offers a more personable experience where guests get to interact with their guides more and, additionally, creates a more personal experience. We're happy this was evident! We’re especially delighted that this was a “bucket list” experience for you and that you felt it was absolutely worth the time and investment! It was a pleasure to be part of such a special experience, and we truly appreciate you choosing What a Life Tours to help you tick another item off your list! Thank you again, and we hope to welcome you back to Rome for another unforgettable experience! Until next time! Kind regards, What a Life Tours Team
The ONLY way to visit the Vatican and Saint Peter’s Basilica; working your own way through the massive crowds is far from optimal!
Dear Andrew_T, Thank you for choosing to book your Vatican experience with us and for taking the time to share your feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you feel this is the best way to visit the Vatican, and we couldn’t agree more! With the sheer number of galleries and collections to explore, the Vatican can certainly feel overwhelming and, at times, like a labyrinth to navigate. That’s why having an expert guide by your side can make such a difference, allowing you to seamlessly navigate the sites and crowds without taking away from the overall experience. We’re so glad you recognized the added value of our guided small-group tour and appreciated having your guide lead the way! Thank you again for choosing What a Life Tours. We truly appreciate your support and wish you safe and happy travels ahead. Until next time Kind regards, What a Life Tours Team
Fabulous tour with so much information and efficiency to see so much! Our guide Eugene was absolutely the best guide Iv had in a tour for a long time!
Dear Traveller, Thank you for leaving us a review and for choosing What a Life Tours to lead your Vatican experience! We're thrilled you found the experience to be a fantastic one, appreciated how insightful the tour was and how organised everything was from start to finish. We work diligently to make the entire process a seamless one for guests, and we're glad that was the case for you! It means a great deal to both Eugene and us that you found him to be the best guide you've had! Eugene sends his many thanks and is happy to hear he had such a positive impact on your tour! Wishing you a great rest of your stay in Rome and many more amazing adventures along the way. Safe travels and all the very best! Until next time. Kind regards, What a Life Tours Team
Using the tour agency allowed us to sip the lines. Our tour guide, Valentina, was exceptional with the knowledge that she has about the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. She proceeded at a good pace and imparted a lot of knowledge to our group.
Dear Timothy_C, Thank you for choosing What a Life Tours to lead your Vatican experience and for taking the time to share your feedback! The skip-the-line feature definitely comes in handy, and we're happy you appreciated it! We're glad you appreciated Valentina's wealth of knowledge and the pace of the tour, which allowed you ample time to appreciate the works of art present! We'll be sure to share your kind words with Valentina; she'll be thrilled to hear it! We're thrilled you saw the added value in booking our guided small-group tour and wish you safe travels ahead and all the very best! Kind regards, What a Life Tours Team
Valentina, our guide was excellent. She ushered us through the crowds with kindness and grace, and her knowledge of art history was very thorough and informative. She was able to bypass lines at times which gave us more time to look at the art. We highly recommend her!!
Dear Bruce_D, Thank you for choosing What a Life Tours and for leaving us a review! That's one of the many perks of booking our guided small-group tours! Our expert guides use their expertise to seamlessly navigate the Vatican sites, which they know inside and out, making the experience a wonderful one for clients by removing the guesswork! We're happy this was evident and that you appreciated the perks of booking with us! We'll be sure to share your high recommendation with Valentina; we're sure she'll be thrilled to hear it! Until next time, whenever your travels bring you back to Rome, we wish you all the very best and safe travels! Kind regards, What a Life Tours Team
What an amazing ext! Mario, our guide was beyond fantastic. Serious, funny, extremely knowledgeable. He made the day the highlight of our trip. I have a whole new appreciation for the church thanks to him.
Dear Traveller, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re absolutely delighted to hear that Mario made your experience such a memorable highlight of your trip. His passion, humour, and knowledge truly make him special, and we’re thrilled that he gave you a whole new appreciation for the church; those are skills right there! Thank you for choosing What a Life Tours and for taking the time to share such a lovely review. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Mario; we know they’ll mean a lot to him! Until next time, we wish you all the very best and safe travels ahead! Kind regards, What a Life Tours Team
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skip-the-Line Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's | Small Group | 3 hours | 4.9 (8,386) | $113 | |
 Skip the line Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peters Tour | 3 hours | 4.7 (3,502) | $21 | View |
 Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica-Small Group | 3 hours | 4.7 (714) | $113 | View |
 Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica VIP Guided Tour | 2h 30min | 4.8 (1,663) | $86 | View |
 Private & Small Group Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel& St. Peter’s | 2 hours | 4.8 (58) | $102 | View |
 Skip-the-line Private: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel&St Peter's | 3 hours | 4.9 (212) | $405 | View |
 Skip-the-Line Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel & St Peter Basilica | 2–3 hours | 4.7 (170) | $136 | View |